Canceling device



1. w. SLACK.

CANCELING owes.

v APPLICATION FILED MAY15 1920- I 1,401,742 Patented Dec; 27, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

r J. W. SLACK.

CANCELING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 15. 1920.

1,401,742. Patented Dec. 27,1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- by a ran

JOHN W. SLACK, OF SILVERCREEK, Ii'El/V YORK, ASSIGNOR TocoL-mviBIA POSTAL SUPPLY COMPANY, OF SILVER CREEK, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN W. SLACK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Silver Creek, in the county of Chautauqua and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Canceling Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a canceling device for printing mail matter either with ruling lines or with a post mark or date. I

One of the objects of this invention is the production of a canceling device of thischan acter which is more particularly designed for marking parcel post packages without damaging the same as is the case when employing an ordinary hand stamp. I

Another object of this invention 1s to provide a device which is operated by an easy rolling action and which will produce an print on'the mail matter without requiring undue pressure and tiring the operator.

This invention has thefurther object to provide a canceling device which will readily adapt itself to any uneven surfaces and .produce a good impression of the printing element thereon.

Additional objects are to produce these results by means which are of simple, efficient and: durable construction and capable of being manufactured at low cost.

In the accompanying drawings: I I

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a canceling device embodying my invention, partly broken away, and constructed to produce both canceling or ruling lines and also'a 7 poster date mark on the-mail matter. Fig.

2 is a top plan view of the same, partly broken away. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section of the same, online 3-3, Fig. 2. Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are vertlcal transverse sections taken on the correspondingly numbered lines in Fig. 3. Fig. 7 is a face view of the printing wheel having a post mark-' ing-die and canceling ribs. Fig. 8 1s a vertical longitudinal section of a canceling device designed for producing, 'cancellng or ruling lines only on the mail matter. Fig. 9 is a plan view of the same, partlyun section. Fig. 10 is a vertical cross section taken on line 10-10, Fig. 9.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Application filed. May 15, 1920. Serial No. 381,673

form. of

cencnnine (DEVICE.

Patented Dec. 2'7, 1921.

reference indicate parts throughout the several Similar. charactersof corresponding 2 views.

Referring to Figs. 1-7 20 represents the body of the canceling device which is constructed casing or housing the underside of which is open. Y

Within this housing is arranged aprinting wheel or roller 21 which projects with its lower operative portion below the casing and is provided on its periphery with any suitable printing surface or type such for instance as circumferential ribs 22 which produce ruling or ject to marked and a die 23 which carries type representing the post ofiice and'the date of mailing and which is removably mounted on the body. of the printing wheel, so that the name and date can be changed as desired. This printing. wheel is pivotally mounted on the casing by an' axle or pin 24 passing axially through this wheel and supported at one end in a plain o ening 25 in thecasing while its opposite en with a screw thread 26 which engages a threaded opening 27 in the casing. In the use of, this canceling device, the printing wheelie rolled over thesurface tobe printed, thereby producing animpression onthe latter. 'VVhen the printing wheel is of the printing wheel so aslto produce .but

one impression thereof during each stroke.

' wheel is provided at one end with arotatable stop 28 havingthe form of a lug which is adapted to engage a fixed stop 29 having the produced by a stroke in one direction and I the printing wheel is automatically returned to its initial position upon lifting canceling device, a coil spring of metal" in the form of a hollow" canceling lines on the ob-.

is provided a screwarranged on the adjacent I organized I for post marking and dating the mailmatter, it is preferable to limit the rotation 30 is provided which I if:

is placed around the axle within tl1e print ing wheel and connected at one end with the axle and at its opposite end with the printing wheel. The organization of the parts 1s preferably such that a printing impressionis produced by pushing the casing forwardly with the printing wheel in contact with the mail matter until the rotation of the printing wheel is arrested by the stops and then lifting the device, whereupon the printing wheel is automatically returned by the spring which has been wound up during the forward rotation of the printing wheel.

Any suitable means may be provided for inking the impression or type surfaces of the printing wheel, but those shown in the drawings have been found satisfactory in practice and are constructed as follows:

31 represents an ink supply roller having a body of felt or similar absorbent material and arranged transversely within the cas ing in rear of the printing wheel. This ink supply roller is journaled on a pin 32 secured transversely to the walls of the casing and ink is supplied to the same through an opening or slot 33 formed in the top of the casing below which the supply roller is ardevice is in its operative position.

ranged and is visible therethrough while the Means are provided for taking the ink from the supply roller, mixing and distributing the same and delivering the same to the printing surface of the printing wheel. These means in their preferred form comprise two delivery or transfer rollers 34, 35, which engage with opposite sides of the ink supply roller and the printing wheel and are held yieldingly in engagement therewith by two pairs of links 36 connected with opposite ends of the axles 37 38 on which the delivery rollers are mounted, and two springs 39 connecting the corresponding links at opposite ends of the delivery rollers. These means of transferring the ink are very simple in construction and eflicient in operation and readily adapt themselves to the surfaces with which the same cooperate, and the same can also be quickly and conveniently assembled and dismembered.

In order to permit of producing a uniform impression of the canceling device when runningthe same over uneven surfaces such as parcel post packages usually I present, the handle 40 for operating the canceling device is connected at its front end with the rear end of the casing or body by a swivel jointwhich permits the casing, printing wheel and associated parts to rock transversely independently of the handle, as the printing wheel travels over an uneven surface. The preferred form of joint for this purpose consists of a longitudinal socket 41 arranged on the rear part of the casing and receiving the reduced front shank 42 of the handle, and a screw 43 an ranged on the side of the socket and engaging with a segmental groove 44; formed circumferentially in the periphery of the shank 42 so that the same serve the double purpose of coupling the handle with the casing and also as means for permitting a limited rocking-motion of the casing relative to the handle.

'l/Vhen the mark, to be placed on an article, is of a fixed or unchanging character, such for instance as the name of a post office, canceling lines or the indorsement form for bank checks, the construction of the device embodying my invention may be organized as shown in Figs. 8, 9 and 10. In this modified construction, the printing wheel or roller 45 is provided with printing ribs 46 which extend all the way around its periphery and no stops are employed, so that con-J tinuous ruling or canceling lines or other marks may be printed on a surface. The inking mechanism may also be simplified,'as shown in Figs. 8 and 9, inwhich case the same comprises an inking roller d7 having a felt body engaging the periphery of the printing wheel 45, a U-shapedyoke d8 which carries the spindle or axle 49 upon which the inking roller 47 is journaled, a shank 50 extending rearwardly from the yoke into a recess 51 formed in the front end of the handle, and a spring 52 surroundingfthe shank 50 within the recess 51 and bearing at one end against the yoke and at its opposite end against the bottom of the recess, thereby holding the inking roller 47 yieldingly in engagement with the printing wheel and permitting the easy removal of the same when required.

This canceling device permits of marking or canceling mail matter much more rapidly than is possible by the use of ordinary hand stamps heretofore in use, the same is noiseless, it does far better work without tiring the operator, it is light in weight and the same does not damage mail such as parcel post packages because the canceling device is simply rolled over the package instead of being struckby a blow from an ordinary punch stamp.

. The die 23 is connected by a dovetail longitudinally-sliding joint with the periphery of the printing roller and its opposite ends engage with two screws 61, 62 onthis roller, whereby the same is held removably in place therein.

I claim as my invention.

1. A canceling device comprising a body provided at its rear end with a longitudinal socket, a printing roller mounted on said body, a handle journaled at its front end in said socket and provided in its periphery with a segmental peripheral groove, and a screw secured to said socket and having a reduced inner end engaging with said groove.

2. A canceling device comprising a cassaid delivery rollers yieldingly in their oping, a printing roller journaled in said caserative position, comprising links pivotally ing and means for inking said printing connected with opposite ends of said de- 10 roller comprising an ink-supply roller, two livery rollers, and springs connecting the 5 floating ink-delivery rollers engaging with corresponding links of said delivery rollers.

said printing and supply rollers on opposite sides of the same, and means for holding JOHN W. SLACK. 

